Plot
George Lucas draws the Star Wars film series to a close with this dark sci-fi adventure which sets the stage for the events of the first film and brings the saga full circle. After a fierce battle in which Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin (Hayden Christensen) join Republic forces to help free Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) from the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his minions, Anakin is drawn into Palpatine's confidence. Palpatine has designs on expanding his rule, and with this in mind he plants seeds of doubt in Anakin's mind about the strength and wisdom of the Jedis. Anakin is already in a quandary about how to reveal to others the news of his secret marriage to Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) now that she is pregnant, and visions which foretell her death in childbirth weigh heavy on his mind. As Anakin finds himself used by both the Jedis and the Republic for their own purposes -- particularly after Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) expresses his distrust of the young Jedi -- he turns more and more to the Force for help, but begins to succumb to the temptations of its dark side. Many of the Star Wars series regulars returned for Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith, including Frank Oz as the voice of Yoda, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Kenny Baker as R2-D2, and Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca. ~ Mark Deming, RoviReview
Star Wars fans have been put through the ringer when it comes to the prequel trilogy, with warring factions battling over the first two installments like rabid womp rats -- thankfully, the concluding film and the bridge to the beloved films of yore should hopefully please both camps and live up to the hype surrounding it. First things first, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is one dark, heartbreaking film. There's a reason that it's PG-13, and parents of youngsters should definitely take note. That said, those who are looking for a fitting tale of Anakin Skywalker's slide to evil will be pleased to know that George Lucas did, indeed, pull it off. Easily the most intense of the series, the third installment fulfills its hellish promises and sets the stage for the next hopeful chapter in the story. Besides the first rousing 20 minutes, one thing that this film isn't is the type of popcorn crowd-pleaser that audiences have come to expect, especially after the kiddie-friendly Phantom Menace and the action-packed lovey-dovey schmaltz that was Attack of the Clones. Thanks to a bravura performance from Ian McDiarmid, running wild here as the supremely sinister emperor of the galaxy, this episode finally has what the other prequels didn't -- a thoroughly nasty and evil villain. For all of the range that Hayden Christensen delivers in this one (and he's definitely filled into the role), the wicked Sith Lord commands the screen in a performance that virtually steals the show as he orchestrates the final coup in the prequel's complicated political plot that is at the heart of Lucas' cautionary (and eerily timely) mythos.Now, don't worry, there are still epic battles with easily the biggest and arguably the best batch of lightsaber duels here, though the most engaging moments have to be what's underneath the digital flash. As it should, the action amply serves the story, and once the proverbial Sith hits the fan, the film's downward spiral pulls you in and doesn't let go. Drawing the series together in spectacular fashion is John Williams' score, thus completing a sprawling saga of work that deftly weaves old and new themes together to create a unified piece that is unprecedented in film score narrative history. Additionally, the FX department should be given highest honors simply for the extraordinary, subtle work that went into Yoda's harrowing performance, helped out once again by Frank Oz's voice acting. Now, in all fairness, the flick still suffers from moments of overtly cutesy stuff, while the actors continue to suffer a bit from the same stilted dialogue that has plagued the last two entries. The good news is that those scenes are so few and far between that only the most cynical viewers would continually hold it against the final product. With Revenge of the Sith working as both a stylistic and emotional bridge to the original trilogy, Lucas completes his masterpiece the only way he knew how, by supplying a soul to one of the screen's most memorable villains. Everyone might not agree with how he went about doing it, but it'd be hard to say that this chapter didn't deliver the goods that audiences have been waiting for since 1977. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
Cast
- Hayden Christensen - Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
- Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan Kenobi
Credit
Ian Gracie - Art Director, Taieb Jallouli - Art Director, Phil Harvey - Art Director, Peter Russell - Supervising Art Director, Industrial Light & Magic - Animator, Rob Coleman - Animation Director, Christine King - Casting, Trisha Biggar - Costume Designer, Colin Fletcher - First Assistant Director, George Lucas - Director, Ben Burtt - Editor, Roger Barton - Editor, George Lucas - Executive Producer, Nick Gillard - Fights Choreographer, John Williams - Composer (Music Score), Dave Elsey - Makeup, Annette Miles - Makeup, Calum McFarlane - Camera Operator, Simon Harding - Camera Operator, Gavin Bocquet - Production Designer, David Franco - Cinematographer, Ron Fricke - Cinematographer, David Tattersall - Cinematographer, Giles Nuttgens - Cinematographer, Piya Pestonji - Production Manager, Johnny Lee - Production Manager, Sarka Sulcova - Production Manager, Rick McCallum - Producer, Ben Burtt - Sound/Sound Designer, Tom Myers - Sound Editor, Paul "Salty" Brincat - Sound Recordist, Nick Gillard - Stunts Coordinator, David Young - Special Effects Supervisor, Tia Carroll - Unit Production Manager, George Lucas - Screenwriter, John Knoll - Visual Effects Supervisor, Roger Guyett - Visual Effects Supervisor, Joseph Jett Sally - Additional Editing, Janet Lewin - Animation Producer, Eddie Knight - Gaffer, David Nichols - Key Grip, Nikki Gooley - Makeup Supervisor, Ramiro Belgardt - Music Editor, London Symphony Orchestra - Musical Performer, Jamie Forester - Post Production Supervisor, Virginia Murray - Production Coordinator, Guido Cerasuolo - Production Supervisor, Abdelaziz BenMlouka - Production Supervisor, Stephen Jones - Production Supervisor, Tony Teiger - Properties Master, Tom Myers - Re-Recording Mixer, Christopher Scarabosio - Re-Recording Mixer, Jane-Ann Tenggren - Script Supervisor, Deborah Antoniou - Second Assistant Director, Simon Harding - Steadicam Operator, Ben Burtt - Supervising Sound Editor, Matthew Wood - Supervising Sound Editor, Jill Brooks - Visual Effects Producer, Michael Mooney - Assistant Costume Designer, Nicole Young - Costumes Supervisor, Christopher Scarabosio - Dialogue Editor, Kathy Ramos - Production Controller, Paul Sullivan - Second Second Assistant Director, Industrial Light & Magic - Visual Effects, Janet Lewin - Visual Effects, Richard Roberts - Set Decorator, Ryan Church - Conceptual Design, Erik Tiemens - Conceptual Design| Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002 Film), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999 Film) | |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 Film), Star Wars: The Clone Wars: ARC Troopers (2010 Film) |
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